Toilet seat



G. w. CARLSON TOILET SEAT Filed July 30, 1932 Oct. 29, 1935.

/ INVENTOR,

'eafye IV far/sp1,

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 29, 1935 PATENT OFFICE TOILET `SEAT George W. Carlson, Monson, Mass., assigner to C. F. Church Mfg. Co., Holyoke, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 30, 1932, Serial No. 626,337

8 Claims.

This invention relates to toilet seats and particularly to those seats wherein a wooden core is rcovered with a plastic composition such as a coating of hard rubber.

More specifically the invention relates to a combined reinforcing insert and hinge member for such seats. While the discussion herein refers primarily to toilet seats it is to be understood that toilet seat covers are included within the invention and the scope ofthev claims except as the terms thereof definitely exclude covers.

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a combined hinge member and reinforcing insert which shall have maximum strength and minimum weight.

It is a further object of the invention to provide for effect-ive bonding between the hinge member and insert and the coating of hard rubber surrounding the core.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide means for increased strength and more effective bonding at the insert between the hinge member and the core of the seat where such strength and bonding is apt to be insuincient.

It is also an object of the invention to hold the insert firmly inV place by means of the rubber without the use of screws, pins, corrugations or other special devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge member constructed of the same metal as the hinge posts in order to minimize corrosive action Aat their point of contact, particularly corrosive action of an electrolytic nature, and to provide a dissimilar metal of greater mechanical strength for the insert and rigidly securing the hinge member and the insert together.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will readily appear to those skilled in the art to which it appertains by a consideration of one embodiment thereof as set forth in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a toilet seat partly in section along a horizontal medial plane;

.'Fg-'2 is a plan view'of the combined hinge member and reinforcing insert; the hinge member being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the combined hinge member and reinforcing insert and one of the cooperating hinge posts;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing more in detail, a

wooden core II is employed as the basic struchas two wing-s I2 and I3 joined together at the rear thereof but open at the front of the seat. At the rear edge of the seat horizontal slots I4 and I5 are cut into the core II at both sides. A reinforcing insert indicated at I6 is preferably constructed of some strong sheet metal such as cold rolled or hot rolled steel. The thickness of the insert I6 is equal to the thickness of the slots I4 and I 5 and the insert is formed to fit the slots except for a slight space left along the inner edges for the rubber to flow between the wooden core and the insert.

There is also provided a hinge member I'I which is preferably in the form of a tube and of the same material, such as brass, as is used for the cooperating hinge'posts, one of such posts being shown at I8. A slot I9 of the same thickness as the insert I6 is cut through both walls of the tube I'l. As shown plainly in Fig. 2 the slot may be cut on a milling machine with a curved contour thereby producing a slot that is somewhat longer in one wall of the tube as indicated at and a slot that is somewhat shorter in the other wall of the tube as indicated at 2|. The insert I6 is formed with a projecting .portion or tongue which is narrow at its outer end 22 to correspond with the short slot 2| and which is wide at its inner end 23 to correspond with the long slot 20. The insert is thus prevented from longitudinal movement in either direction because of the close fit of the projection in each wall of the tube I'I. The tongue also has at the place of its greatest width 23, considerably greater strength which is where the bending moment is greater and where greater strength is needed. After the insert I6 has been placed in position in the slot I9 the end of the insert is headed or hammered over at 24.

In that portion of the insert which extends between the hinge member I1 and the wooden core II there are provided a plurality of holes or apertures 25. With the combined insert and hinge member inplace in the slot I4 of the wooden core I I a coating of plastic composition such as hard rubber is molded around the parts. This provides a coating 26 of hard rubber around the core and also extending outwardly and integral with the coating 26 there is a coating 21 around the hinge member. That portion of the rubber which extends over the insert between the hinge member and the core is indicated at 28 and the similar portion under the insert is indicated at 29. The upper portion and the lower portion 29 are held together by the portions of bonding rubber 30 which extend through the apertures 25. It will be noted that the portions 28 and 29 of the rubber are in the form of reverse curves and will readily pull away from the insert unless bonded together in the way shown in the drawing.

That portion of the insert between the wooden core il and the hinge member i1 is the place where the greatest mechanical strain occurs and for this reason provision is made for stiifening the insert at this portion. A plurality of upset portions 3l are provided which not only materially stiifen the insert but provide additional means for bonding therubber firmly in place around the insert both at the protruding sides of the upset portions and at the recesses at the opposite sides. To further aid in bonding the rubber coating to the hinge member i'l the ends of this member are preferably provided with corrugations 32. It will be noted that there is a slight clearance between the edges of the insert I6 and the Wooden core H into which a narrow strip of rubber 3l is molded. This strip of rubber aids in holding the insert in position and furnishes considerable extra area of rubber close to the insert which is firmly bonded to the wooden core.

Each hinge post I8 is provided with a cylindrical pin 33 which is adapted to enter the tube l1 and provide therewith a bearing. Suitable stop means may be provided for preventing the hinge member H from moving too far backward when the seat is in the raised position. Approximately one-half of the outer end of the tube is cut away as indicated at Sii anda stop 35 in the form of a sector is provided on the hinge post. In order that there may be a protective coating of rubber between this stop 35 and the insert i6 a portion of the insert is notched at 36 at each end of the insert and the rubber coating extends into these notched portions, as clearly seen in Fig. 1.

It will be seen that while the hinge member and post are both of the same material, preferably brass, and there is a minimum of corrosive action therebetween the insert itself is of a material that is much stronger and While it is more corrosive if exposed to corrosive iniiuences it is so inclosed by the rubber that no corrosive action takes place. There is thus provided a simple, strong and economical seat structure.

It is to be understood that the foregoing described embodiment of the invention is for purposes of illustration only and various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the subjoined claims.

I claim:

l. In a toilet seat, a hinge member formed of tubing having a slot cut through the walls thereof, and a reinforcing insert formed of flat material having a tongue extending through said slot and rigidly secured in place therein.

2. In a toilet seat, a hinge member formed of 'tubing and having a slot cut longitudinally through both walls thereof, the length of the slot through one wall being greater than the length of the slot through the other wall, and a reinforcing insert formed of fiat material and having a tongue adapted to extend into said slots, the tongue at its outer end being relatively narrow to t the shorter slot and at its inner end being relatively wide to iit the longer slot.

3. In a toilet seat, a wooden core, a hinge member in the form of a tube positioned away from the rear edge of said core, a reinforcing insert of sheet metal extending from said member into the rear edge of said seat, and a coating of hard rubber surrounding said core, member and insert, the insert between said core and member having a plurality of apertures therethrough whereby the upper and lower coatings of rubber are bonded together.

4. In a toilet seat, a wooden core, a hinge member in the form of a tube positioned away from the rear edge of said core, a reinforcing insert of sheet metal extending from said member into the rear edge of said seat, and a coating of hard rubber surrounding said core, member and insert, the insert between said core and member having a plurality of upset portions for stiiening the insert thereat.

5. In a toilet seat, a wooden core, a hinge member in the form of a tube positioned away from the rear edge of said core, a reinforcing insert of sheet metal extending from said member into the rear edge of said seat, and a coating of hard rubber surrounding said core, member and insert, the insert between said core and member having alternate upset portions and apertures for stiiening the'insert and bonding the rubber respectively.

6. A toilet seat comprising a wooden core having a scarf in the rear edge thereof, a hinge member having a portion extending into said scarf and having an enlarged portion for cooperation with hinge posts, a portion connecting said enlarged portion and the portion extending into said scarf having a plurality of openings therethrough, and a coating of hard rubber enveloping both the wooden core and the hinge member, said coating having its opposite sides bonded together at said connecting portion by integral bonding portions extending through said openings.

'7. In a toilet seat, a reinforcing hinge member for a toilet seat comprising a substantially cylindrical portion for cooperation with hinge posts and a flat portion extending from said cylindrical portion, said flat portion having one or more apertures extending therethrough, and a hard rubber coating surrounding said member and having its opposite sides bonded together through said apertures. Y

8. In a toilet seat, a wooden core having a slot extending into the rear edge thereof, a reinforcing insert formed of fiat material positioned in said slot and having a tongue extending outwardly therefrom, and a cylindrical bearing member having an opening for the reception of said tongue, said insert and said member being rigidly secured together.

GEORGE W. CARLSON. 

